Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of additional algae in river and pond systems since the recent flooding in England on those systems; and what information her Department holds on levels of toxins produced by algae in those systems and their effect on the marine environment.

Rory Stewart

The Environment Agency assesses the presence of algae in the spring, summer and autumn as this is when algae can become a nuisance to people and nature.

The recent floods will have flushed nutrients from agricultural land and urban drainage systems into rivers and lakes. Much of this increased nutrient loading washes down into estuaries and coastal waters. Since the flooding has occurred in winter months, when algae are not growing, there is unlikely to be an immediate effect. Sunny and hot conditions may lead to a higher number of blooms but this will depend on the weather in the spring and summer months.

The Environment Agency and Cefas will also monitor in response to reports of toxic algal blooms at any time of year. They hold data on the levels of toxins in samples from affected sites, which inform management action. Where toxins pose a risk to the quality of shellfish, to recreational or other users of waters, this can result in closure of shellfisheries or action to warn the public about the hazards.